Question detail
Which of the following best describes the life cycle of a virus?
Try the question, check the answer, then read the explanation to understand the curriculum point.
At a glance
MCQ
Type
practice
Style
Topic
Communicable diseases
Question
- A. It can live independently in the environment.
- B. It requires a host cell to replicate and cause damage.
- C. It can reproduce through binary fission.
- D. It is always harmful to the host.
Answer
The correct option is It requires a host cell to replicate and cause damage. because it matches the approved biology in Communicable (infectious) diseases within Communicable diseases.
Explanation
The correct option is It requires a host cell to replicate and cause damage. because it stays accurate for Communicable (infectious) diseases in Communicable diseases. It matches the approved learning objective about explain that viruses live and reproduce inside cells, causing cell damage and avoids the oversimplified distractors.
Common mistake
Misunderstanding Virus Reproduction
Students often confuse the process of viruses reproducing with that of bacteria, thinking that viruses can reproduce independently outside of host cells.
Emphasize that viruses must enter host cells to reproduce and that they hijack the host's cellular machinery to replicate, which leads to cell damage.
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